Industry

Several weeks ago, after much thought, I finally ordered a set of the Blackwing 602 pencils recently re-issued by the Cal Cedar Pancil Company as The Palomino Blackwing. I've long been fascinated by Blackwings-- for those uninitiated with the them, Blackwings were a pencil produced by Eberhard Faber and noted for their very even, thick black lines and even strokes. A small amount of wax was mixed with the lead, making the effort of drawing or writing easier. Chuck Jones, Stephen Sondheim, and John Steinbeck were each 602 enthusiasts.

As a developer of young children's educational games, I often find in my work that clients are hesitant to develop games in which children have negative consequences, either by losing games or getting negative feedback during gameplay. Some games are designed around the notion that the child is never given any indication that they've done anything incorrectly.